Sikar Blake was holding Yura Blake so tightly that her waist bent.
His expression was very serious, having never properly heard his beloved woman say she liked him even once.
“Could it be that you only like me but don’t actually love me?”
As Yura remained silent and only smiled, his gaze seemed to grow increasingly serious—yet soon softened again, as if regaining composure.
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter what it is. I love you so much. I will love you until I die.”
Sikar immediately pressed his lips to Yura’s. That kiss was like a thirst desperate to confirm love.
In the early evening garden, where twilight faded and the night sky sparkled beautifully, pretty candles flickered—unyielding even against the wind.
While the two shared their beautiful kiss, on the opposite side of the garden, Aaron was proposing to Hersia.
Though it was merely a one-carat diamond, for Aaron’s circumstances, the ring—crafting fees included—had cost quite a considerable sum.
Aaron knelt before Hersia, presenting the ring.
“Let’s get married!”
Hersia, about to reach for the ring, instead crossed her arms, standing as if offended by how easily he expected her to accept.
“You said you couldn’t marry right away because you didn’t have enough money.”
“I—I did say that, but I kept delaying because I thought you’d break up with me if I waited too long…”
“What?!”
“Ah, no—I mean, now that we’ll start our business, I think we can afford to marry…”
“Is that supposed to be an answer?!”
Hersia absolutely had no desire to accept the ring. She refused to even meet Aaron’s eyes, utterly dumbfounded.
Aaron, who had been crouching, now stood up as if slightly angered.
“I’m finally asking you to marry me—so why are you mad? I honestly can’t understand you.”
Hersia shook her head slowly, mirroring his sentiment.
“I can’t understand you either.”
Aaron sighed deeply, as if resigned to her usual behavior, and fell silent, suspecting perhaps the ring he prepared was the problem.
“Right now, I don’t have the means to give you more than this. I can’t even promise I won’t make you suffer—but I can promise I’ll spoil you properly later.”
She appreciated at least the promise of future spoiling—but that wasn’t truly what mattered.
“Do you really not know why I’m angry?”
Aaron flared his nostrils slightly, as if bracing for another round, and desperately tried to recall what he’d done wrong.
“Was it because I proposed too late…?”
“Wrong.”
“Because I kept postponing marriage…?”
“That’s exactly it!”
Aaron simply could not comprehend what he’d done wrong.
“Then what on earth did I do wrong this time?!”
“Do I have to spell it out for you?”
Lately, they’d been fighting like this at the slightest provocation. Aaron closed the lid of the ring box in his hand.
“Fine. I genuinely don’t get it. What did I do wrong this time that made proposing turn out like this?”
Hersia’s pent-up tears burst forth. She sobbed loudly, and Aaron—as always—sighed and patted her shoulder.
He had no idea why she was crying this time. Whenever Hersia cried, he never knew what to say except “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry. I really am—but I don’t know why you’re like this. Honestly.”
Jeremi Iker, too, couldn’t understand Hersia’s behavior.
Those who had prepared proposals sat in the garden’s center, watching both Sikar’s and Aaron’s proposals unfold.
The Duke’s proposal had proceeded smoothly, leaving everyone feeling satisfied—but Aaron’s situation was far from good.
“Could it be, as Aaron said, that the gemstone was too small?”
Reidox disagreed.
“Lady Hersia knew full well Aaron had no fortune, yet still agreed to marry him. It can’t be about money.”
“Then why is she crying after accepting the proposal? She doesn’t look moved at all.”
“Hmm…”
They didn’t know—but Seo Yeon and Roen, observing from afar, seemed to understand the reason.
“Hmm. I think I know.”
The two men turned their attention to Seo Yeon’s words.
“Really? Why exactly is Lady Hersia acting like that? I’m curious too, Lady Seo Yeon.”
Jeremi’s face was full of curiosity, while Seo Yeon’s expression remained very serious.
“Lady Hersia brought up marriage several times, but he kept delaying—until now, when he finally proposed. But this proposal feels… as if he’s only doing it because she nagged him into it.”
Jeremi and Reidox still tilted their heads in confusion.
“Why do you think that, Lady Seo Yeon?”
“Recall the Duke’s proposal just now—he said he’d love her until he died. Truthfully, women certainly like expensive gemstone rings, but vows of love matter more. Right now, Aaron’s proposal just feels forced.”
Roen vigorously nodded and clenched her fists.
“Exactly! That would make anyone furious!”
“Honestly, I get it but I don’t. Why doesn’t Lady Hersia just say it plainly?”
Roen blushed at Jeremi’s sigh.
“It’s awkward to say those things out loud yourself! Honestly, Jeremi, you’re so clueless.”
“But Lady Roen, you told me everything directly! Not long ago, you threatened to curse me in the name of the gods if I didn’t propose quickly—so I rushed under pressure to propose…”
Roen, embarrassed, smiled at Seo Yeon and covered Jeremi’s mouth with her index finger.
“Jeremi. Don’t bring that up when others are around.”
Jeremi sensed his fate would soon resemble an ancient tree clinging to a cliff’s edge—for quite a while longer.
Though Roen was embarrassed, Seo Yeon paid no attention to the happy couple. Instead, she suddenly recalled Roen’s ability.
“By the way, Lady Roen—you’re a priestess, right? Couldn’t you let Aaron hear Lady Hersia’s true feelings?”
“Ah, well… telepathy lets me briefly hear others’ thoughts or convey my own—but I can’t fully master it yet. Only higher-ranked priestesses can do that…”
“I see.”
Jeremi proudly raised his hand.
“I can handle that. I’ll make Aaron hear phantom voices.”
Reidox nodded approvingly.
“Good idea. We promised to help Aaron today—we’ll make sure he successfully finishes his proposal. Use your ability, Jeremi.”
Thus, Jeremi relayed to Aaron the inner thoughts of Hersia that Seo Yeon had shared.
At first, Aaron—who was confronting Hersia—heard Jeremi’s voice.
[Aaron…]Wondering where the voice came from, Aaron lifted his head—and then heard the next sound.
[Oopsie…]Then another voice followed—this one unmistakably Hersia’s.
[Aaron…]Aaron looked at Hersia with bewildered eyes.
“Hersia?”
Hersia was still sniffling, refusing to meet Aaron’s gaze.
Then Aaron heard that voice again.
[Aaron. Why don’t you understand my heart at all? I don’t need jewels or a house. I only want a proposal filled with your vow to love me forever.]Jeremi, mimicking Hersia’s voice, grimaced and urgently signaled Seo Yeon to quickly relay the next line.
[I hate proposals that feel forced—like you’re doing it because you have no other choice…]Aaron stared at Hersia, shocked.
He realized how thoughtless he’d been all this time.
“Hersia… I’m sorry. No—I love you.”
Hersia, who had been sniffling, lifted her head again.
“What… what did you say?”
Aaron finally understood why she was crying. He tightly grasped her hand.
“I love you. I’m proposing because I love you. I feel I can’t live without you—I feel I’ll die without you. That’s why you’re so precious to me—I delayed marriage out of selfish desire to make you happy, not because this marriage felt burdensome.”
“Aaron…”
“This isn’t a forced proposal. I’m proposing because I don’t want to lose you, the one I love. I’m quitting my knight position. I plan to live simply as a family head, running a business with you. I just want to marry you, have children, and live together happily…”
“Aaron!!!”
Hersia threw herself into Aaron’s arms and began sobbing loudly. Aaron, too, embraced her and cried.
Seo Yeon, watching them, teared up—but Jeremi turned his head away as if unable to bear the sight. When his gaze accidentally met Roen’s, he quickly turned back toward Aaron.
Roen clasped her hands together, as if witnessing such beauty for the first time.
“What a touching proposal.”
More than anyone, Seo Yeon rejoiced over their marriage as if it were her own.
How fortunate that these two wouldn’t suffer unhappiness as in the original story.
“This turned out so well. Truly.”
After the quasi-joint proposal ended and all guests departed, everyone gathered around the dining room table to bid farewell to Jeremi and Roen.
In the dining room, men and women sat facing each other to share a meal while exchanging goodbyes.
Upon hearing news of Hersia’s proposal, Yura Blake concealed the ring in her hand.
“Lady Seo Yeon handled it well.”
“I was so nervous they’d fight badly or the proposal would turn into a mess.”
Yura understood Seo Yeon’s feelings.
Anyone who’d seen the Blood King couldn’t help but root for them. Yep.
“By the way, when is Lady Seo Yeon’s wedding?”
Seo Yeon didn’t answer immediately—instead, she glanced at the twins slurping pasta beside Reidox before speaking.
“Actually, I’m not rushing to marry the Marquis.”
Yura, who clearly sensed Seo Yeon loved Reidox, couldn’t understand why she held such feelings.
“Lady Seo Yeon, why…?”
“Truthfully, I want to be acknowledged as a mother by the twins before getting married.”
The statement was so unexpected that Yura couldn’t help but be surprised.
“Does the Marquis know this?”
Seo Yeon shook her head ruefully.
“No. The Marquis doesn’t know. That’s why I envied the Duchess—His Highness readily acknowledged her as his mother.”
“Back then, the King needed someone to rely on…”
But Kian Blake and Lucy’s situation was very different. Lucy had her father—a constant protector and loving shelter.
Both Yura and Seo Yeon knew better than anyone that this path wouldn’t be smooth.
“The original story has changed so much now. Lucy will definitely come to rely on you as her mother someday.”
“Will that day truly come? A day when I’m acknowledged as mother by this world’s heroine? If that day comes, I’d be so happy, wouldn’t I?”
Seeing Seo Yeon speak with such sadness, Yura pitied her deeply and tightly grasped her hand.
“It will happen. When that day comes, we’ll definitely raise a toast together.”
“Thank you. I’d have felt so lonely if I hadn’t met the Duchess here.”
“Of course. Which reminds me…”
Yura glanced around cautiously, then voiced the words that had been circling in her mouth.
“That request I made earlier—have you thought any more about becoming my lady-in-waiting?”
As Yura waited for Seo Yeon’s reply, she felt her throat parched and lifted her water glass.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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